Prognostic factors associated with survival and hospitalization time in pediatric canine patients diagnosed with presumptive acute viral gastroenteritis.

Background and Aim: Acute viral gastroenteritis is one of the main causes of hospitalization in dogs during the 1st year of life. This retrospective study aimed to describe a pediatric canine population presumptively diagnosed with acute viral gastroenteritis and to identify potential prognostic factors that influence hospitalization time (HT) and mortality. Materials and Methods: Canine patients up to 12 months of age diagnosed with presumptive acute viral gastroenteritis were searched retrospectively from two veterinary hospitals during a 5-year period (2015-2020). Information regarding patient signalment, prophylactic care, clinical signs, blood test results, presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and additional treatments were recorded to analyze their association with HT and mortality. Only dogs with a complete medical record until death or discharge were included in the study. Results: Ninety-four dogs were identified: 76 dogs (80.9%) survived with a median HT of 5 days (range: 2-16 days) and 18 dogs (19.1%) died with a median HT of 3½ days (range: 1-8 days) after admission. The presence of fever and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) administration was significantly associated with a lower survival rate (p = 0.021 and p = 0.037) in the multivariate analysis. Among survivors, incomplete primo-vaccination, the presence of hematochezia, and FFP administration were considered independent predictors of time to clinical recovery (p = 0.026, p = 0.047, and p = 0.026, respectively), being associated with higher HT. Conclusion: The presence of fever and FFP administration was significantly associated with a lower survival rate. An inadequate primo-vaccination status prior to admission, hematochezia, and FFP administration was associated with longer HT in surviving patients. Further studies are needed to confirm the present results.

Integrated approach for the quality assessment of freshwater resources in a vineyard area (South Portugal).

An integrated chemical and biological approach for the quality assessment of freshwater resources in a vineyard area of the 'Alentejo' region (South Portugal) is presented. This includes analysis to 11 pesticide compounds and whole toxicity testing on algae and crustaceans. Simazine, terbuthylazine, terbutryn, desethylatrazine and chlorpyrifos were the most frequently detected pesticides in water collected from wells and drainage channels. Mixtures of up to three compounds in different qualitative combinations were also found. The quality standards for individual pesticides (0.1 µg L(-1)) and pesticides-total (0.5 µg L(-1)) were exceeded in some samples. However, their maximum concentrations were lower than the WHO guidelines, the USEPA health advisory values and the environmental quality standards for priority substances applicable to surface water. In five samples, the herbicides terbuthylazine and terbutryn and the insecticide chlorpyrifos did not pass the toxicity exposure ratio (TER) trigger values specified for aquatic organisms (algae, Daphnia and fish). Maximum toxic effects on Daphnia magna (100%) and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (82.56%) were determined in groundwater samples, while in surface water, no toxicity was observed. Concerning effects on Heterocypris incongruens in sediment samples collected at the drainage channels, mortality and growth inhibition values were below 38%. Pro-active management of the use of pesticides is recommended for implementing at the farm and catchment level to reduce inputs into ground- and surface water.

Espiritualidade e qualidade de vida nos pacientes oncológicos em tratamento quimioterápico / Spirituality and quality of life in oncologic patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment

O diagnóstico da neoplasia causa forte impacto na vida de seu portador e, por isso, a atenção à espiritualidade pode melhorar a saúde daqueles que necessitam de quimioterapia. O presente estudo objetiva estudar o nível de espiritualidade dos pacientes que estão em quimioterapia, e relacioná-lo à qualidade de vida (QDV) dos mesmos. Para tanto, utilizou-se método transversal, observacional, analítico e não controlado. Pacientes do Hospital do Câncer Bom Pastor, em Varginha/MG, responderam questionários validados relacionados à qualidade de vida e espiritualidade. Para a análise dos resultados foram utilizados o coeficiente de Pearson e o teste não paramétrico de Mann-Whitney. Concluiu-se que quanto maior a espiritualidade, maior a QDV em relação à paz. Não demonstramos que nível superior de espiritualidade melhora a QDV em relação ao bem-estar físico (BEF), porém houve melhora do BEF quando se está bem emocional e funcionalmente. Demonstramos também a importância do bem-estar sócio familiar com QDV total.